Switching mechanism



Patented Sept. 15, 1925. Y \J I UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE.

HAROLD W. GOFF, F YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY,

INCORPORATED, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

swrronrivo MECHANISM.

Application filed December 30, 1922. Serial No. 609,999;

To all whom it may concern: tained, and respectively disclose circular, 55 Be it known that I, HAROLD W.-Gorr,' a diamond, half diamond, Vshaped and se1nicitizen of the United States,residing at ellipticalapertures; Fig. 7 shows a section New York, .in the county of New York, of a coordinate switch and clearly discloses State of New York, have invented certain the relative positions of the various parts new and useful Improvements in Switching thereof, such as the active and passive con- 60 V Mechanisms, of which the following is a tacts, the vertical and horizontal operating 1' ;full, clear, concise, and exact description. members with their respective camming This invention relates to switching apmembers and operating finger members, and paratus and more particularly .to the sothe operating card. Figs. 8 and 9 point out called coordinate switch of the type emthe manner in which the double wiping ef- 65 ployed in automatic telephone exchanges. feet between active and passive contacts is Switches of the above mentioned type, accomplished by two specific types of aperand as generally disclosed in the British tures. patent to Western Electric Company, Ltd., The following description is directed par- N 0. 183,436 of 1923, are characterized by ticularly to Fig. 8 and points out the man- 70 the provisionofthe-coordinately disposed ner in which the double wiping effect is operating bars which are adapted to be produced and how the active contact rejointly operated to selectively actuate an sumes a position in its normal vertical operating card and effect a connection be plane after a complete operation of its astween coordinately disposed sets of active Sociated card. This description, however, 75 and passive contacts. with slight obvious variations, is equally ac- In the above mentioned patent and in the curate when applied to Figs. 2, 8, 4, 5, 6 British patent to estern Electric Co1n-- and 9. I r pany, Ltd, No. 182,486 of 1928, the switches In the position A the active contact 10 are provided with operating cards having and its associated card 11 are shownin their 80 a plurality of obliquely disposed apertures, normal positions, witlrthe contact 10 in the by virtue of which the active contacts slide extreme upper corner of. the half diamond along the passive contacts when their re shaped aperture 12. In position B the spective cards are actuated. In'this man card 11 has been moved vertically until the ner chattering of the active contacts is precontact 10 engages the passive contact13. 85 vented and perfect electrical contact is in- The contact 10 it will be noted is in the same sured, the sliding of the active contacts tendvertical plane as in position A. The coning to clean the contacting surface on the tact 10 having been initially tensioned to passive contacts. the right tends to hug the left-hand guid- It is an object ofthis invention to 1m ing surface of the aperture '12 so that fur- 90 prove thecleaning effect between active'and ther vertical movement of the card 11 as passive contacts in a coordinaterswitch by shown in position G results in the movewiping across, and then moving partway ment of the contact 10 along the contact 13 40 back over the surface first wiped. in a left-hand direction. In passing from This object is obtained by the provision position G to position"D, duringwhich '95 of operating cards having apertures of a interval the card 11, has been moved further" certain configuration which effect a reciprovertically, the contact 10, still hugging the eating or double wiping engagement between left-hand guiding surface of the aperture 12, active and passive contacts. 7 V l is forced to slide in a right-hand direction .The invention will be readily understood along the contact 13. -Positio'n 'D-shows 10 from the following detaileddescription, and the card 11 just prior to reaching its highest by reference to the accompanying drawing position. i It is apparent that when the card in which Fig. 1 shows a fragmentaryview' 11 has reached its highest position the con- 0 of a coordinate switch to which this in tact 10 will have assumed a'position sub vention is particularly applicable. Figs."2, stantially in the same vertical plane as when 3, 4, 5 and 6 show alternative arrangements in its normal condition, in position A. for the apertures in the operating cards From the foregoing description it isap- Whers y'tb Q i f thi anemia is o P 9 h by using, h lt dienend p apertures a double wiping engagement is produced between the active and passive contacts thereby increasing the cleaning effect on the contacting surface of the passive contacts.

Particular reference will now be made to Figs. 1 and 7 in order to describe the opera tion of a coordinate switch embodying the features of this invention. i i

Sets of grid conductors comprising the wires 20, 21 and 22 and 21' and 22 are securely fastened at their ends to fixed members (not shown) and are preferably woven in and out between insulating strips as shown in the above mentioned British Patents Nos. 183,436 and 182,486 of 1923. The support 23 is of insulating material and is disposed at right angles to the direction of the length of the grid conductors and on it are mounted the flexible wire contacts 24, 25 and 26. The support 23 may be of considerable length and may carry any desired number 01 sets of contact springs 24, 25 and 26 dependent upon the switch capacity desired. The free ends of each set of contact springs 24, 25 and 26 extend through V- shaped apertures 27 in an operating member or card 11. The operating card 11 is mounted on a flexible finger member 28 which is fixed at one end to the support 23. The free end of the finger member 28 normally engages a circular aperture located at the bottom of the operating card 11. The flexible spring member 28 is adjusted normally to hold the card 11 in a predetermined position to prevent the contact springs from normally engaging the grid conductors.

Individually associated with each of the supports 23 (in practice the number of these bars depend uponthe switch capacity desired) is a bar 29- which is journaled at its ends in suitable bearings 40-; Securely attached to each bar 29 is an armature 30 which is arranged to be attracted by an elec tromagnet 31 whereby'the bar 29 is rotated through a small angle. 7

Coordinately disposed to the operating bars 29 are a plurality of horizontally operating members 32, each of which is individual to a set of passive contacts or link con ductors such as 20, 21 and 22.

Securely attached to each-horizontal operating member 32' is an armature 33 which is arranged to'be attracted by its associated electromagnet 34 whereby the bar 32 is rotated through a small angle.

The active contacts in all modifications shown are tensioned downwards. In add-ition, the active contacts in Figs. 2, 3,4 and 8 only are tensioned laterally against the camsurface which operates them to effect the double wipe.

VVhena subscriber initiates a call, magnet 31, for example, individual thereto will be energized and by attracting its armature 30 will rotate the line bar 29. Permanently mounted on each line bar are a plurality of camming members 35 there being one of such members for each group of active contacts 24, 25 and 26. Individual to each group 01 active contacts there is also a flexible finger securely mounted on the horizontal link bar 32. When the line magnet 31 is energized the associated line bar 29 is rotated through a small angle thereby positioning the cammi-ng members 35 in operable relation with their respective flexible finger members 36. Subsequent to the operation of a line bar 29, a link magnet 34 is energized and in attracting itsarmature 33 rotates a corresponding link bar 32 through a small angle. The rotation of the link bar 32 causes the free end of the flexible finger member 36 to slide along the camming surface of its associated camming member 35 whereby the finger member 36 is forced upwardly and engages the spring member 28. The flexible finger member 36 is provided with staggered'projections which cooperate with each other in forming a crotch whereby the spring member 28 is held in engagement with the finger member 36 during the energized condition of the magnet 34. The upward movement of the finger member 36 is transmitted to the operating card 11 which thereupon moves vertically in a guide 38. The upward movement of the card 11 causes the active contacts 24, 25 and 26 associated therewith to move into engagement with the passive contacts or link conductors 20, 21 and 22, respectively. By virtue of the particular design of the apertures in the card 11 the active contacts 24, 25 and 26 move to and fro along the passive contacts 20, 21 and 22, re spectively, until the card 11 has been completely operated, that is, has reached its highest position in the guide 38.

Considering the switch disclosed in Fig. 1 as a line switch, the active'contacts 24, 25, 26 are the terminals of a trunk line, while each set of horizontal wires 20, 21 and 22 may be considered as the terminals of a set of subscribers line conductors.

It is to be noted that the connection just established'is maintained irrespective of the energized condition of the line magnet 31 so that this magnet, which may be accessible to! other subscribers, becomes deenergized subsequent to the energization of a corresponding link magnet 34, so that it may be free to cooperate in the establishment of other connections. The 'maintenance of the connection depends only uponthe energized condition of the horizontal link magnet 34.

The vertical line bars 29 are shown seetionalized, each section thereof being individualto a group of sets of passive contacts or'link conductors, and rigidly connected to the next succeeding section by a coupling 40.

The methodof coupling'the sections of vertical line bars 29 is described in Patent 1,523,407, issued to Henry F. Dobbin on January 20, 1925.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a switching mechanism, a set of active contacts, a set of passive contacts, an operating member for said active contacts, and means for actuating said operating member, said operating member being apertured in such a manner as to cause said active contacts to move with a double sheering action into engagement with said passive contacts.

2. In a switching mechanism, coordinately disposed sets of active and passive contacts, an operating member for said active contacts, and means for actuating said operating member, said operating member being apertured in such a manner as to ca'use said active contacts to move with a double sheering action into engagement with said passive contacts.

3. In a switching mechanism, a set of active contacts, an operating member therefor, a set of passive contacts, a second operating member, an operating card for said active contacts, and means for jointly operating said operating members, whereby said card is actuated causing said active contacts to move with a double sheering action into engagement with said passive contacts.

4. In a switching mechanism, a set of ac tive contacts, an operating member therefor, a set of passive contacts, a second operating member, an operating card for said active contacts, and means for jointly operating said operating members whereby said card is actuated, said card being apertured in such a manner as to cause said active contacts to move with a double sheering action into engagement. with said passive contacts.

5. In a switching device, a grid unit comprising a plurality of parallel conductors, a plurality of other conductors fixed at one end and substantially perpendicular to said grid, and having their free ends extending between the conductors thereof, and means for moving said other conductors into engagement with the conductors of said grid with a reciprocating wiping action.

6. In a switching device, a grid unit comprising a plurality of bare wires, a plurality of conducting springs having their free ends extending between adjacent wires of said grid, a camming card adapted to permit. the said conducting springs to move simultaneously and with a reciprocating wiping action into engagement with the wires of the grid, and means for causing the operation of said camming card.

7. In a switching mechanism, active and passive contacts, an operating member for said contacts, and means for actuating said operating member, said member being provided with a triangularly shaped aperture, whereby said active contact is caused to move with a double sheering action into engagement with said passive contact.

8. In a switching mechanism, a set of active contacts, an operating member therefor, a set of passive contacts, a selecting member, an operating card for said active contacts, and electromagnetic means for jointly oper ating said selecting and operating members to move said card, said card being so apertured as to effect, when actuated, a to-andfro rubbing action along said passive contacts in establishing a connection therewith.

In witness whereof, I here'unto subscribe my name this 28th day of December A. D., 1922.

HAROLD W. GOFF. 

